Well first I'd like to say that I really enjoy DVD Profiler and have over the years.  However I have two things that bug me.  First is a question I posed about a year ago when suddenly the collection list started appearing in the upper left hand corner upon re-opening the program.  I asked how to "pin" it back and got some replies, but nothing that seemed to work.  I rarely use the forum, but looking through everything I'm quite impressed.  Lastly, I am a bit disappointed and also interested in knowing why the rate of the DVD & BD's I purchase are not included in the add to collection feature.  I thought someone working for Invelos actually added most of them and them others could contribute the more obscure movies.  Every movie I used to add was readily available, but now it seems like 40% are not.  What gives?  I try to contribute, but even if I use a reputable site such am IMDB...doesn't get more official than that, they always deny my contribution.  How can I help or get help?

Quoting ccaesar13:

Quote:
What gives?  I try to contribute, but even if I use a reputable site such am IMDB...doesn't get more official than that, they always deny my contribution.  How can I help or get help?

That's the thing, there is nothing 'official' about IMDB, not only that there are concerns about using their data for commercial use.  They are an independent website that does their own thing.  Just about everything you need to contribute is on the disc, or on the packaging, with some minor exceptions.  I know contributing can be very intimidating, especially when you get a flood of No votes without really knowing what you are doing is wrong.  Most of the community members here are great and very helpful, so I'd suggest at looking at the rules that greyghost posted, and if you have any questions ask.  Some things are easier to contribute than others.  Cast & crew I found were the hardest to do at first, with the CLT, common names, birth years, etc.

Quoting rdodolak:

Quote:
Times have changed and there are a lot less people contributing to the database now.

The problem is that rules request to contribute useless data : fake titles for movies (recopying stricly covers), fake names for actors and crew (by adding spelling mistakes), recopy of spelling mistakes in every field where we can find some...  With those, database functions as searching, linking, sortering, do not work anymore. So many users choose to enter correct data in their own database but are not allowed to contribute those correct data.

Quoting greyghost:

Quote:
IMDB data is explicitly excluded.

That's actually not true. The rules only mention "third party databases" (which IMDb obviously is, though). The only explicit mention of IMDb is "Do NOT use IMDb style Roman Numerals ...".

Not that this makes any difference, but I often see this claim that the rules explicitly forbids IMDb data, and that's a misconception.

The reason I don't contribute new releases is because I seldom buy movies when they first come out.

The rules need to be followed to contribute to the online database so it is important to read them and get a handle on the contribution process.

Contributing really isn't that difficult - the more you do it the easier it gets - but even long time contributors make mistakes.

It might be helpful to look through your collection and see how the contributions were made. Looking at the contribution notes will give you a guide to how accepted profiles were entered.

You can always bring any questions to the forums.

Here is how such a thing ("One Click Submission") would work in the main program:

- User inserts a disc and gets a message, not included, would you like to contribute?
- User says "yes".
- A web search pops up and asks the user to select an initial image to serve as a placeholder for a cover scan, to be replaced later with an actual scan.
- A couple of minutes later, a profile appears in his database.

Behind the scenes:
- Disc is scanned and precise information is pulled, ala DVDInfo and BDInfo, PowerDVD: Disc ID, subtitles, audio tracks, running time, media type, MPAA rating, and other things (see DVDPca thread for complete list)
- In some case, Production studio, year, Title, Director and a couple of actors are also actually encoded on the disc
- Some features can be deduced by scanning the disc contents. Some of this information is formal, and thereby exact and correct if present, and some other info is based on an educated guess. For some examples, please see my DVDPca thread.
- This "Initial Profile" and temporary cover scan are automatically, uploaded, approved and available for download, and is somehow flagged by Invelos to attract the attention of frequent experienced contributors for enhancement. Maybe the original submitter could be given an option to place a temporary hold on other contributions, to give him/her a chance to provide their own enhancements before others do. Of course these later additions to the profile are submitted via the normal contributions approval process.

I am considering making a .dll that Invelos or any develper could use: pop in a disk, and out pops a profile. Any interest in that?

I typically only contribute the Basics  Cast/UPS/Cover Scans - Personally I am not going to fight people of crew stuff, and I don't particularly care for Crew info any way.

I have some issues with BluRays submissions as I don't have a way to get disc id's. A few examples of this would be the Matric BlueRay collection with The Matrix, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Rebellion and Animatrix. It is a 4 disc Fan Favorite thing and I cant add the discs to build a profile for it.

When I watch a movie I at least try to submit the basic stuff, that isn't overly hard, but in reading I think it is just people being a bit lazy not to do the little bit of work to add things to the database.

Ken - how big is the current database if you don't mind answering ?

I personally wish the database was constructed a bit differently so that you enter a title or UPC/EAN and they all have the same pull for cast/Crew and info. If there is a variant that info can be put into a different field as well as various cover scans.

-R